Fathers
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"You silly little girl," sixteen year-old Tom Riddle told eleven year-old Ginny Weasley. The wizard touched the diary she was holding. "Maybe you aren't so silly." He lifted his head back and released a high-pitched, cold laugh.
"Why?" Ginny said in a shaky voice. An extreme chill ran through her body. She didn't know what made her tremble more: the frigid breeze in the Chamber of Secrets or the gloom in Riddle's tone.
"So I can live again," he hissed.
Tom touched her hand. Ginny felt herself fall to the frosty floor.
She awoke from her sleep to see the snakelike Voldemort of Draco's memories walking towards her. With each step the dark wizard's appearance changed. By the time he was next to her body, he was his sixteen year-old self. He walked past her to a group of young boys playing in a school yard. When he reached them, he was no more than nine years old. He was a handsome child, tall for his age with jet black hair, dark eyes and extremely long fingers.
Ginny sat up and watched him interact with the children. It seemed normal, a group of boys playing happily. Everything changed in a moment. Sirius Potter entered the picture. She heard a familiar, high pitched, cold laugh. The group began taunting the Potter boy. She ran to his aide.
The redhead gasped at what she saw. Next to the young Voldemort stood her two eldest sons, the Goyle boys and the Crabbe boys. "Boys, stop it this instant," she yelled.
Thuban punched Sirius. Cam glared at Ginny. "Go away, Mother," Cam said. He pulled up his left sleeve, displaying the prominent Dark Mark on his forearm. "We're his."
Her oldest sneered at her. His eyes were cold, dark, and emotionless. Thuban smiled devilishly before pointing his finger at Sirius and setting the boy on fire.
Ginny was still screaming when she woke. The noise caused Lyra to stir for a short time. Sighing with relief after the baby calmed herself, Ginny got out of bed. She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at the clock. One fifteen, only ten minutes of sleep, she would have to live with it.
Today was the first time she was alone with the children. Draco had to go into work this afternoon, and Narcissa had a tea to attend. She had to get back into this routine soon, but these horrible dreams were going to make it difficult. Ginny wandered down to the kitchen; if she couldn't sleep, she might as well make the batter for the boys' after-school biscuits.
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Lucius and Snape took another drink of Polyjuice Potion before walking into the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic. The wizards' appearance was that of two Muggles they had passed on the street. It didn't matter who they looked like as long as they didn't resemble themselves. Lucius was sure that Voldemort was Lis Mulciber's father and Death Eaters would be closely watching anyone looking into Lis' past. The Malfoy wizard was guessing that somehow Lis had hidden Maisie from the Dark Lord. Snape however was still in denial. He didn't believe Kirley's story, but hid his identity because other Death Eaters may believe the crazy rumblings of Mulciber's.
The men walked into the Hall of Birth Records. An older witch approached the front desk to help them. She addressed them in Bulgarian, a language both Lucius and Snape spoke.
"How may I help you, gentlemen?" she inquired.
"We would like to see the birth registers for January through March of 1978," Snape replied.
"That information isn't available to the public, sirs."
Lucius smiled at the witch, removed a sack of Galleons from his robe and placed it in her hand. "Terter said you could help us."
She nodded, and then Summoned the books. "You must be quick. Other workers will be returning within the hour."
The wizards scanned the volumes a number of times. They couldn't find Lis' name anywhere in the books. The name Maisie could not be found either. Lucius finally pointed a name out to Severus.
Madeline Svetoslav, born February 12th, 1978 to Petar and Marija in Varna. Home birth.
They handed the books back to the witch and left the offices. Once outside they spoke.
"Svetoslav is the cousin Lis stayed with?" Lucius asked. Snape nodded, and Lucius continued. "It makes sense, with a home birth, Lis could have given birth but they registered Marija as the mother. We need to go to Varna."
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Ginny's tossing and turning had woken Draco up. He watched his wife for a moment. This was occurring too often. She never had nightmares this frequently in the past. The wizard only briefly wondered how he could help her eliminate the dreams before her cries sent him into action.
"Help! Get away! Get away!" Ginny whimpered in her sleep.
Draco touched her arm slightly, but she pushed it away. He then leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I'll help you, Gin. I'll keep you safe."
His soft words caused her to roll into him. He lay on his back, and his lovely redhead placed her head on his chest. Draco wrapped his arms around his wife, and the witch calmed down. Ginny remained there until the wizard woke the next morning.
Lyra's gentle whining woke Ginny. She heard the shower running in Draco's bathroom and decided to let her daughter get a few cries out before she feed her. Lyra was eleven days old, and because of her father and Grandmother's attentiveness hadn't gotten out a good cry. Ginny was from the old school of parenting and believed a baby needed to cry a little.
A loud screeching cry emitted from the cradle, and Ginny placed her feet on the floor. Draco appeared at his bathroom door before the witch could stand. He had left the shower on. His hair still contained shampoo, and a towel was hanging loosely around his waist. Merlin, he was adorable, Ginny thought. She couldn't help but melt at the sight. Her feelings changed when he spoke.
"What's wrong?"
"She's hungry and impatient." Ginny glided over to the cradle as Lyra screeched again. "Well, you know how to get everyone's attention, don't you?" She lifted the babe into her arms and headed back for the bed.
"You should have hurried. Something's wrong. She's never made that noise before." Draco didn't hide his irritation. The wizard didn't agree with letting a baby cry, especially his little princess.
"You always pick her up at her first whine. Finish your shower, we're fine," Ginny ordered him. She turned her attention back to the baby. Ginny held Lyra's hand and waved it at Draco. "See you soon, Daddy. I'll have a full tummy and be ready to play after your shower."
He stepped towards the bed, but Ginny glared at him. His wife wasn't happy with the tone he had used earlier. Draco played it safe and went back to the shower. He stepped under the water, rinsing the shampoo from his hair. The blond wizard knew his daughter nursed quickly and her time awake was limited. He hurried, skipping shaving and using a drying charm for speed. Draco threw on his boxers and quietly exited his bathroom.
"So what am I going to do? Your daddy is going to spoil you rotten." Ginny smiled at Lyra, who lay on the bed next to her. The baby cooed. "You like the idea. Well, your Daddy does know how to indulge a witch. But you're not to get a Slytherin princess attitude. I'll take my wand to your bottom if I see that nose in the air, foot stomping, and door slamming manner."
Draco crawled on to the bed next to his witches. "Merlin, I don't want to think of disciplining her. You can't spank witches."
"You most certainly can. Just treat her like the boys," Ginny responded.
"I can't do that. Wizards need a firm hand. Witches need a soft one," Draco replied.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Old fashioned- You will discipline her, and if she and Leo run off into the forest one day without permission, they will be punished in the same way."
Lyra's cinnamon eyes gazed into Draco's. The wizard was sure his daughter understood every word her mother had said, and she was pleading with him for his help. "Look at what she's doing to me, Ginny. She already knows how to use those eyes."
The redhead kissed his cheek. "You're going to have to get immune to those."
His hand went to her arm. "I'll try… Ginny, what are your nightmares about?"
"Damn elves," she spat. "They need to keep their mouths closed."
"The elves have nothing to do with this. Your thrashing wakes me," he informed her.
Her eyes widened in shock. "I have them even when you're with me?"
"Ginny, how often are you having nightmares?"
"I thought I only had them when I slept alone," she replied softly.
"That's why you won't nap. When did they start, and what are they about?" Draco queried.
"I started having them right before Leo's birthday. They're about Voldemort. It always starts the same, with me and Riddle in the Chamber. Different things happen after that. Sometimes a teenage Riddle uses Lyra to come back to life. Other times he becomes a boy not much older than Thuban. He turns our sons into Death Eaters," Ginny stated with a shaky voice.
Draco placed his arm around her. "It won't happen, Ginny." He showed her his left arm. "My parents risked their lives to keep my arm unmarked. I will do the same for our children. My parents will do the same. You and your parents will also make sure it doesn't happen."
He kissed her forehead. "You are raising wonderfully loving children. They value all life and would never join someone who takes it. We're both teaching them to choose their friends wisely and how to see the true person behind the mask."
Ginny kissed him back. "Thank you. I needed to hear that." She paused for a moment. "I think the dreams are just my fears coming out. I'll give it a week. If they don't stop, I'll see a Healer."
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Still using Polyjuice, Lucius and Severus questioned the residents of a small village outside of Varna. No one wanted to discuss the family that lived in the large home on the shores of the Black Sea. The Muggles called the Svetoslav family odd and dangerous. The wizards heard the whispered warnings the villagers were passing amongst themselves. Strange things happened to those who badmouthed the Svetoslav family. The few people who had tried to look into the couple's past had disappeared.
"They're mad. They even drove their son-in-law mad." One brave man was able to tell them before his wife dragged him away.
It was clear they would get no information from the Muggles, so they headed out of the village. They hadn't walked far, when they noticed a few houses that had no Muggles wires going to them. On top of each chimney was an item that appeared to be a weather vane. In fact it was a wizarding item charmed to keep out unwelcomed Floo calls and visits. The wizards made a right turn and headed for the homes. They hadn't been walking long, before they came upon an older, stout witch leaning on a fence chatting to a younger witch who was busy planting flowers.
"I really don't have time today, Mrs. Grubo," the young witch said pleasantly. "Tomorrow would be better, when my husband's out, around one," the witch whispered.
The Malfoy wizard smirked. He had found his quarry. The tone in the younger witch's voice told him that Mrs. Grubo was the biggest gossip in the area. She would be more than willing to talk to them. Her type would have to know why two strange wizards were in town. Lucius approached the women and tilted his hat. "Excuse me, ladies. I was wondering if there was a wizarding inn close by. My friend and I are in need of a warm cup of tea."
"A British accent, how lovely. What brings you here?" Mrs. Grubo asked.
Lucius smiled. "If you could point us to an inn, we'd enjoy your company."
She took them past a dozen houses before the inn came into sight. It didn't look like much on the outside. This was normal for wizarding businesses that were in populated Muggle areas. The inside of the building was lovely. It reminded both wizards of an oversized Madam Puddifoot's. Lucius did an excellent job of distracting the stout witch's attention while Snape put Veritaserum into her cup of tea. Normally Severus would have merely used Legilimency to get the information, and Lucius would have relied on his charm. Today they wanted to speed things up.
As soon as she took a drink, her eyes glazed over. "We've come up to learn about the Svetoslavs' daughter, Madeline. What do you know about the girl?" Lucius said.
"Marija had been trying to have a baby for years. She announced her pregnancy, and then her niece showed up. Marija didn't go to a midwitch or a Healer, said she was going to do it naturally." The old, stout witch took another drink. "Marija's belly got bigger, but she didn't get the bloating that's normally common with pregnancy. No one saw the niece from November until after the baby was born.
"Madeline was a lovely baby. She had wonderful, black eyes. Petar and Marija had blue eyes. That's when the rumors started. People would whisper that the niece was the baby's mother. It made sense. A young, unwed, pregnant witch would go away, have her baby and give it to relatives to raise."
"So Petar and Marija raised Madeline as their own child?" Snape asked.
"Yes, and as the girl grew, it became clear that she was the niece's daughter. She looked just like her," Mrs. Grubo said.
Severus handed a photo of Maisie at eighteen and one of Lis to the witch. "Did Madeline look like one of these witches?"
Mrs. Grubo pointed at Lis. "She is the niece." The witch pointed at Maisie's photo. "This is Madeline." She smiled at Snape. "You are the father. A half-blood, right?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" Snape sneered.
"Madeline married a Muggle, Thomas Petrova. A month after the wedding, Marija had one too many. She told me that Madeline had Muggle blood in her veins, and that's likely the reason she fell in love with one. After the wedding Petar and Marija never talked to Madeline or about her again."
Snape glared at the stout witch. Lucius kicked him under the table and mildly shook his head at him. Severus softened his expression. "Marija could have lied to hide her shame. Do you have any proof of Madeline's parentage?"
"Yes, I went to all the Muggle Hospitals in Varna after Marija's statement. I found what I was looking for at St. Marina. Lis Mulciber gave birth to a baby girl on February 9th, 1978. She was released from the hospital on February 12th."
"That doesn't mean that Lis' child and Marija's child are the same. Both witches could have been pregnant," Snape said.
"I'd agree with you, except on the Muggles' birth records they have Petar Svetoslav listed as the father of the baby. The records also showed that they left the hospital with the baby. No one ever saw two babies." The old witch nodded. "Because there was only one."
"Do you have any more information on Madeline or her husband? A Muggle in the village said he went mad," Lucius questioned.
"I don't have proof of anything. I heard rumors that he went mad a couple months after the wedding. I heard Madeline died giving birth to a baby boy. But those are only rumors. You might find more information in the Muggle library in Varna. They keep old copies of the Muggle papers there." The fog in her eyes started to clear. Lucius performed a non verbal memory charm on the witch.
"I agree," Lucius said. "The English countryside is so beautiful when the spring flowers are in bloom. We'll be heading back to our own country this evening."
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The glass-covered indoor garden was a beautiful place to entertain a small group of friends. Just off the entryway there were four white benches set in a semi-circle, arranged to give their occupants an outstanding view of the gardens. Flowers of every kind were charmed to bloom year round. Foxgloves, roses, peonies and orchids dominated the room. Small tables sat by each end of the benches while a larger table sat in front.
Ginny, Hermione, Luna and Pansy sat in the center benches. Parvati and Padma sat on the right bench while Vicky Frobisher sat next to Diane on the left. Vicky was in Ginny's year at Hogwarts and had played Keeper after Ron had finished school. The witches had become close friends again after re-meeting last year at a mom-n-tot class. Vicky's son Austin was the same age as Leo. There were also four babies in the room. Lyra was currently being held by Hermione. Sophie, Rosetta, and Kali sat in an open area to the right of the witches. Nan, the house elf, watched over the babies, who ranged from eight to ten months old.
Hermione kissed Lyra's cheek. "She's beautiful; with her skin tone she'll have freckles in the summer. Her eyes… the color is just exquisite… and she's so alert." She looked at Lyra. "You're a wise one, aren't you?"
"She does look around more than your average newborn," Pansy stated.
"You sound like Draco," Ginny replied. "Serpens was very alert too."
"Speak of the little dickens," Parvati muttered, pointing to the door.
Serpens peeked inside, and then turned to an unseen person. "It's full of witches. I don't want to go in."
They heard the whispering of a male's voice, but his words couldn't be heard. The boy looked in the room again and then turned away. "But Daddy, if I go and say hello, they'll kiss me. I don't want Auntie kisses today." More male whispering was heard; when it was done, Serpens rushed into the room and over to his mother. "Hi, Mummy. I've come to be polite. I get to go to the office with Daddy if I let everyone kiss and hug me."
Draco walked in with a tray of tea, scones, jam and cream floating in front of him. "It wasn't polite to make that statement, son." The wizard looked behind him. "Leo, come along, mate."
The strawberry blond toddler stepped inside the room. He saw Vicky and ran to her. "Whewe Ausin?"
"He's not here, Leo. He's at home with his grandma," Vicky replied.
Leo gave Ginny a mean glare. He pointed at the three babies with Nan. "Why them, no Ausin?"
"Because this is a witches' party," Serpens stated. "They're witches too."
"Sons, greet your mother's guests then go to the playroom, please," Draco firmly stated as he placed the tray on the long table. He watched his sons say hello to the ladies. The blond wizard sighed after the boys left the room. "Sorry about their behavior, ladies."
"Don't worry about it, Draco," Luna stated. "We're all as close as family. They were just being little boys."
"They would have been perfectly behaved if a mere acquaintance had been present," Pansy added. "Luna's right, you can be yourself around family."
Draco chuckled, "that's right, Parkinson. You always thought of me as family." He turned his attention to Ginny. "The pumpkin cream rooibos is in this pot. I made it myself." He snapped his fingers and an elf appeared with another pot, tea cups and plates. "There is Earl Gray in that pot." The blond wizard kissed his wife's hand. "If you need anything, just call, Ginny." He inclined his head. "Good afternoon, ladies."
Pansy waited until the wizard was out of sight and earshot. "Draco Malfoy makes tea?"
"The elves always make rooibos too strong," Ginny replied.
Diane inhaled. "Tea and scones, two of the few things that don't make me ill." She paused for a moment. "I want to know the name of the liar who labeled it morning sickness."
"The same liar who said it only lasts for the first three months. I was sick with Victor the whole time," Padma replied. "Then with my other three I wasn't ill at all."
"For me it was my second," Parvati stated.
"Don't scare the poor girl," Ginny interjected. "It could stop any time. I only felt sick when I was hungry. I had to eat lots of small meals."
"Lemon drops would settle my stomach," Hermione informed the group. "I think you just need to experiment."
"It was nerves and stress that kept me feeling poorly through most of my pregnancy with Austin," Vicky stated. "I started getting daily massages at seven months to reduce the stress. Merlin, they did wonders!"
"I do feel better when I can talk Greg into rubbing my feet," Diane told them.
"Merlin, I could do with a good rub too," Pansy stated. "Blaise has been so busy campaigning lately; he doesn't have time for the simple things."
"Walden has been very busy also," Hermione added.
"They are both doing so well in the polls. Do they really need to be on the campaign trail so often?" Padma inquired.
"Polls can be wrong," Ginny answered.
"Blaise and Walden are popular wizards. People will say one thing in public but vote differently in private," Luna informed the group.
"It would be hard to stop campaigning this close to Election Day. Scandals appear about one of the candidates every day. You have to answer them," Hermione told the group.
"Some aren't scandals. There are facts, like Blaise's randiness," Diane jested.
"He's only randy for me," Pansy spouted.
Luna giggled, "My favorite rumor came out after Ginny wrote her column supporting Blaise." She paused. "You remember the one, don't you, Pansy? They claimed that you were pregnant with Draco's child and Ginny was pregnant with Blaise's."
The whole room laughed. Pansy examined Lyra closely. "Yes, I can see Blaise in this child's blonde hair and fair skin."
"I liked the rumor the Podmore campaign passed around. Blaise and Draco were into wife swapping. No one knew which wizard fathered which child," Parvati said. "Merlin, that was fresh. I give you that Blaise and Draco are good friends, but they're both extremely possessive."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "That one caused us problems." The redhead started to giggle. "Well, maybe it wasn't really a problem. One of the boys in Cam's dance class told Cam that Draco let Blaise sleep in our bed. Cammy replied, 'my daddy wouldn't let Uncle Blaise in his bed with or without Mummy. Uncle Blaise has smelly feet. Daddy won't even let Uncle Blaise wear his extra pair of old, manky boots last time they were hunting in our woods.'"
"Those articles appeared in the Daily Prophet," Luna noted. "And everyone says the Quibbler prints wild stories."
"I thought when the Ministry expelled Skeeter, these types of stories would stop," Hermione added.
"People love a scandal. That type of stories will never stop," Vicky replied.
"There is a good thing that comes out of all the lies," Ginny countered. "The Prophet has paid for our lawyer's new home, and Draco and I have given thousands of Galleons to charities. All the money we win from slander suits goes there."
Pansy nodded her head. "Blaise and I did the same with our winnings. I don't think we'll need a fair to raise money for the orphanage next year."
"The stories should calm down after Election Day, but it does make you wonder if running for Parliament is worth it," Parvati stated.
"This mess doesn't have as much to do with Blaise running for office as it does with him being a Slytherin," Pansy replied. "The Prophet has always been busy writing stories about us evil Slytherins." She looked at Padma and then Ginny. "And those from other Houses we have corrupted."
"Slytherins have caused most of the pro-" Hermione started.
Ginny cut her off quickly. "Corrupted… Oh Merlin," she said in a dreamy tone. "I miss Draco corrupting me. That's the only bad part about having a baby. You can't be corrupted for two weeks after birth." A wonderfully mystical expression graced her face. "Sweet Venus, he corrupts so well. He's so romantic when he gets back to corrupting me after I give birth. I wonder what he has planned for Monday night. I heard him arranging for Narcissa to watch the children."
The women started chatting about romantic trips they had with their husbands. Ginny beamed internally. She had finally mastered the art of subject changing. Narcissa had taught her well.
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A single tear rolled down Leo's cheek as he finished his conversation with Lucius using a two-way mirror. "You come home. Play me," he pouted.
Lucius held in his emotions. "I'll be home very soon. Be a good boy for your parents and Grandmother."
"Me be good. Love you." Leo affirmed with a nod.
"I love you also. May I speak with your Grandmother now?" Lucius asked.
Leo handed the mirror to Narcissa, kissed her cheek and left the room.
"Your absence has been difficult on him, Lucius," Narcissa stated.
He raised a brow at his wife. "And it hasn't been on you?"
She sighed and blinked her eyes at her handsome husband. "You know I miss you dreadfully. How are things going?"
"The pieces are falling in place to support Kirley's story. Severus is in denial. I have no idea how Maisie fits into all of this. Maybe we will learn tomorrow. We need to go back to Muggle Varna. I will be home on Tuesday at the latest. There isn't too much more we can do here," Lucius stated.
"You still believe that Lis had twins?" Narcissa asked.
"It's the only thing that makes sense. Maybe she tried to hide Maisie or maybe the Svetoslavs only wanted one child."
"Lucius," Narcissa softly asked. "Did you tell Ginevra about Kirley believing the Dark Lord has an heir?"
A bewildered expression stretched on his face. "No, dearest. Only Draco, Severus, you and I know of Kirley's words. Why do you ask?"
"Draco told me today that Ginevra's been dreaming of the Dark Lord, as a child no less. I know her dreams are not a vision. She dreams of Thuban having the Dark Mark. He would never do that. The boy understands that mark causes you pain." She paused for a moment. "From her time in the Chamber, Ginevra knows better than many how the Dark Lord looked before the dark magic changed his appearance. Do you think it's possible that she has seen his heir and that triggered her dreams?"
He shook his head. "I think it is more likely that Ginevra's fears have activated them. No one was able to keep her safe, so she fears the same will be true for Lyra." The wizard smiled as he said his granddaughter's name. "How is our angel doing?"
"She's delightful, growing stronger and stronger each day. Her Healer said she was the brightest baby he'd seen in years." The blonde witch smiled at her husband. "Her name appeared in the book today. I didn't see her magic-"
"Damn the book," he stated. "It matters not."
Narcissa beamed at her husband. It was clear to her for the first time that Lucius had learned to love the child, magical or not.
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Ginny sat in the rocker nursing Lyra as Draco finished dressing for the day.
"Father will be home on Tuesday. You don't mind Mother staying until then?" he asked.
She switched the babe to her other breast. "I enjoy having Narcissa here. She seems to know when I need extra help or a friend and when I need time alone. She's welcome to stay as long as she likes."
Draco's eagle owl flew into the room and placed a roll of parchment next to him. The owl flew over to the window ledge and waited. The blond wizard waved his wand and a treat landed on the ledge.
"Come here, Blodeuwedd," Ginny called the animal.
It perched itself on the table next to her, and she offered it a drink of water. The creature drank, and she patted it caringly. "Very good, Blodeuwedd. Thank you." The redhead turned her attention to her husband at the sound of his snort. "She just saved you a trip to London. The least you can do is treat her kindly."
"I treat her kindly. She has everything she needs. When she makes a delivery, she is rewarded. The owl is not a pet and doesn't need a name," Draco replied.
"Well, don't think of it as a name. We live in Wales after all," she countered.
"What are you on about, witch?" he snorted.
Ginny frowned and shook her head. "Blodeuwedd, Draco. You have to know the story."
He tilted his head and looked puzzled for a short time. "Blodeuwedd, she was turned into an owl by her husband's uncle centuries ago. So?"
She rolled her eyes. "Of course we wouldn't remember the four months Binns taught us about how most Muggle mythology is based on wizarding events. Yes, Blodeuwedd was turned into an Owl. Her story is part of Welsh mythology; because of it, many Muggles in Wales call owls, blodeuwedd." Ginny paused. "I'll never understand why you refuse to let your owl be a pet and a service animal."
"Their performance goes down when they are made into pets. Take your brother's little bird," Draco huffed.
"Our sons love Pigwidgeon. Ron sends him over here to play. Pigwidgeon would fly through anything for Ron," Ginny handed a fed Lyra to Draco. "Burp her, please. Enough about the owls. When you take the boys to registration, take their old pads. The league is giving them to underprivileged children. We are also sponsoring two players. You need to give Lisa their fees."
Ginny entered her dressing room and collected her clothing for the day. "The league has really grown. They are in need of practice pitches. I'd like to offer them ours. It will make it easier for us. That way I won't have to leave the house for practices."
"I'll talk to them about that. It's a wonderful idea, Ginny." Draco turned his head to Lyra as she released a loud burp.
The redhead smiled at him. "I agree, that's the Weasley in her coming out. Malfoys don't belch loudly. I'd like Cam and Serpens to play with their age groups," Ginny added.
He started to form a complaint, but changed his mind. "We'll start them there."
"Draco," Ginny exhaled in frustration. "Our sons are talented fliers, but only Thuban is an exceptional Quidditch player. Cam was only a good player last year because you put him with the seven year olds. Let him play with his own age group, and he can be a star."
The blond wizard kissed his wife's cheek. "Alright, Gin. You win. Now, we need to discuss our team. Are you going to be ready to play by May?"
"I'll be ready to play in April." She sat at her dressing table and brushed her hair. "Will you be alright taking the boys with you? I promised Mum I'd bring Lyra to the Burrow this afternoon and show her off to some friends."
Draco nodded. "I'll stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies and get them new pads too. We'll meet you at the Burrow around three." He kissed her cheek, started out the door and then paused. "After your midwitch appointment on Monday, Scott Kemps is expecting you at his office. I've arranged to have their new Sonic Chaser Broom custom fit for you."
"I'll give their broom a test flight and see if I like it," Ginny replied.
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Greg, Vincent, Michael Corner and Cormac McLaggen were standing by the steps of the Quidditch clubhouse watching their boys play in the yard, when Draco came walking up with his sons. The blond wizard held Leo on his hip and his other three followed closely behind him in a straight line youngest to oldest. Goyle chuckled at the sight of his friend. He tapped Crabbe's arm.
"Malfoy knows how to keep his ducks in a row," Greg joked.
"Hello, Draco," Vincent nodded at his friend. "Hi, boys."
Leo bounced on his father's hip. "Hi. Daddy, me play." He pointed at the children in the field.
"I'll keep an eye on your boys if you like, Malfoy," Greg offered.
Draco placed Leo on the ground and told his other sons they could go play. They ran off with the exception of Thuban. "Dad, may I go inside and look for Coach Keitch?" Draco nodded, and Thuban went inside.
Corner and McLaggen stepped toward Draco and offered their hands. "Congratulations," Corner stated. "Ginny and Lyra are doing well, I hear."
"They're fine, thank you, Michael."
"You know, Malfoy, Lyra needs a little sister. You and Ginny should get working on that right away," Cormac added.
Draco chuckled loudly. "McLaggen, you're lucky my wife isn't around. Her twin brothers are still sneezing bats for saying the same thing to her."
"Cormac might be safe. The twins' timing was off, that's all," Greg interjected. "Ginny's really moody in the first couple of days after giving birth. I think it's the special pain relief potion."
"So, is Ginny playing this year, Draco?" Vincent asked.
"Do you think anyone could stop her?" Draco responded. "It will be nice to have her back. Last year was too close."
Corner furrowed his brows. "We tied. The time keeper was wrong. Bill scored as you caught the snitch. The score was truly 200 to 200, not 200 to 190. You're so scared of a rematch you're sending Charlie Weasley back to Romania."
"Michael, shut it. Don't say that name so loud. Serpens doesn't know yet. I made that donation for dragon research in hopes of keeping Charlie in England," Draco softly replied.
"Sorry, Malfoy. I wasn't thinking. It's hard to find a good Seeker," Michael added.
"I got the last one," Cormac interjected. "Cho. I wanted a completely Gryffindor team, but had to take Cho as a Seeker. I have Katie, Alicia, Angelina, Jimmy Peakes and Derek. We'll be good. But the team you'll need to get past this year is Flint's. He has the entire 1991 Slytherin team."
"Damn," Draco hissed. "They're not good. They're just brutes. I hate the idea of Gin playing against them."
"Thuban will have to flatten Mikey Flint again if Marcus pulls any shite," Greg replied.
"Discussing Flint's team?" The wizards turned to see Bill Weasley come out of the clubhouse. He shook hands with each wizard. "Montague was running his mouth about their plans for beating your team, Draco. The boys and I will set them straight. No one talks about manhandling my little sister and gets away with it."
Bill placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, stopping him from going inside. "He's talking that rubbish to pull you off your game. This isn't the place or time, and besides, Thuban has already issued the Malfoy threat." The redhead smiled. "Let me see if I can remember his words." Bill tilted his head as if to think before starting. "'You do understand that my grandfather has grown very fond of my mother. I'm sure your statements would displease him. Grandfather isn't a pleasant person when you anger him.' Montague paled on the spot."
"I should get in there and register," Draco responded.
The Weasley wizard held him in place. "Let's just let this fellow pass first."
Montague walked out of the door. Every wizard outside glared at him. Draco sneered. He wasted no time getting away from the group and Disapparating.
"It's safe for you to go inside now." Bill grinned at his brother-in-law.
"I don't need you and your lot to look after my wife. I'm very capable-" Draco started to growl.
Bill laughed, cutting the blond wizard off. "My lot! You are part of my lot, brother-in-law of mine. Besides, Malfoy, Ginny has been my sister longer. Go register. We can argue about this at the Burrow this afternoon."
"Let your sons play. We'll keep an eye on them," Vincent told Draco.
Draco looked at his three little boys playing in the field, nodded to his friends and headed inside. Randolph Keitch met him just inside the door. Keitch, an ex-Falcon and famous broom inventor had been Thuban's coach for the last two years.
"Good afternoon, Draco." Randolph offered his hand. "Congratulations on your new addition. I hope everyone is healthy and well."
"Ginny and the baby are fine. I'm sorry I haven't been able to get back to you. The summer league you put together sounds outstanding. The Hogwarts students need somewhere to play in the summer. As soon as I get all the Junior League responsibilities transferred over to myself, I'll schedule a meeting between my staff and yours. I'm sure we can help you out."
"Sounds good, but that's not why I was trying to contact you. Two days ago we finalized the formation of a spring eleven and under team. We have one in northern England, Ireland, Scotland and I'm coaching the team in Southern England. It's full Quidditch: Chasers, Beaters, Keepers and Seekers. We're using the soft Blugders; they slow the players down but don't hurt them. Only the top players will be on the teams. I'd like Thuban to play for me." Keitch stated.
"Yes!" Thuban shouted. "That would be so wicked."
"Calm down, Thuban. We need to hear more." Draco turned his attention back to Keitch. "These teams are going to mainly contain children entering Hogwarts this fall? And players are going to need racing brooms?"
"Yes to both. However, Thuban will be fine. He's always played two years up and still been outstanding," Keitch said with conviction.
"I can do it, Dad. I play with the soft Blugders all the time with you and my uncles. Uncle Fred and George are great Beaters, and they can't hit me. Please, Dad. I can do it," Thuban pleaded.
Draco turned to Keitch. "I'll need to discuss this with my wife."
Thuban stomped his foot. "You're the wizard of the house. You can say yes without Mum."
The blond wizard placed a hand on his eldest son's shoulder. "This needs to be discussed with your mother." He turned to Keitch. "I'll Floo you tomorrow with my decision?"
Keitch handed Draco a form. "If you decide to let him play, fill this out. We'll need to Owl it to Lisa Tipton before Wednesday night." Keitch grinned at Thuban. "I'll see you soon, Thuban."
The soon-to-be eight-old-year gave his father a pleading gaze. "I can do it, Dad. You know I can. This isn't a good time to ask Mum. She's still all messed up from having Lyra. You know she is overprotective after a new baby."
"You need a racing broom to play in that league, Son. You know that we all agreed you'd have to be nine to have one." Draco folded the form and placed it in his pocket. "I'll be speaking with your mother."
Thuban folded his arms and moped. "But Dad…"
"Son, if you keep pushing me for a decision, it will be no," Draco firmly stated.
"I'll wait for you to speak with Mum." Thuban replied as he softly kicked at the floor.
"Why don't you go play with your brothers while I register?" Draco offered.
Thuban shook his head. "I'll go over and talk with Danny, if that's okay."
Draco nodded, and the boy went over to his friend. Danny was Randolph Keitch's grandson. The two boys chatted for a time, each complaining about the unfairness of Thuban's situation. After fifteen minutes the Malfoy heir smiled. "Danny, can you get another form from your grandfather without him knowing?"
"Yes, they're in the backroom. What are you going to do?" Danny questioned.
"I know how to get me signed up. Go get the form and meet me back here."
Danny headed for the backroom while Thuban went over to Draco. "Excuse me, Dad, we're running late. I can take the forms over to Miss Tipton for you."
Draco looked at his watch. He handed the forms and the fee to Thuban. The boy waited for his father to return to his conversation before walking back to where Danny was. Thuban took the blank form from his friend. He removed what looked like tape from his pocket. He placed the tape over the areas on the form Draco had filled out. Thuban then removed the tape and placed it on the blank form. The information was transported to the new form. He repeated this process until the form for him to play in the eleven and under team was complete.
Thuban showed Danny the form complete with Draco's signature. He kissed the tape before putting it back in his pocket. "My uncles invent the most useful items."
"Just because you're signed up doesn't mean your dad will let you play," Danny said.
"By the time my dad finds out it will be too late. Grandfather will be home, he'll make Dad let me play," Thuban smirked.
"He may not. Your grandfather may be too upset because you tricked your dad," Danny replied.
"That's the great thing about the transport tape. The information moved disappears after twelve hours. It will look like Miss Tipton made a mistake." Thuban made his way over to the youth register desk.
Lisa Tipton took the forms from the boy.
"Good afternoon, Thuban." She looked at the forms and smiled. "You boys are getting so big."
Thuban returned the witch's smile. Grown witches were so silly. Of course he and his brothers were getting older, what else could they do?
"How do you like having a baby sister?" Lisa continued.
"Lyra's nice. She makes Mum happy. Lyra can cry really loud now. Monday will be great. Mum will be able to fly again. I can't wait. She said she'll have Stacy watch Lyra and Leo so we can fly around the grounds of Black Hall." Thuban watched as Lisa entered his brothers' names into the proper columns. She paused when it came to his form. "I'm going to help Mum get back into shape for the Quidditch season. Mum and Dad let me ride a racing broom when I fly with them." Thuban smiled. His words had motivated Lisa to enter his name into the column for eleven and under team players.
His smile fell slightly when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Thuban tried not to shake. If Draco noticed any nervousness in his son, the wizard would know Thuban was up to something. The boy looked back and sighed. "You scared me, Dad. I didn't know it was you," Thuban said to cover his first shakes.
"Sorry, son." Draco looked at Lisa. "Good afternoon, Lisa. I want to make sure that Serpens and Cam are in the proper groups."
The witch looked at her book. "I have Serpens with the five year-olds and Cam with the sevens."
"That's right, thank you. I'll see you next Friday at Luna's?" Draco added politely.
"Yes. Give Ginny and the rest of your family my best wishes," Lisa replied.
Draco nodded, and the two Malfoy wizards headed out the door. Thuban was still a little fearful that his father may find out about his form tampering. The boy hoped the topic of his Quidditch team placement didn't come up at his Uncle Ron's belated birthday party.
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Ginny transfigured one of the small kitchen chairs into a nice, cushioned rocker. She sat down with Lyra in her arms. The redhead would blow raspberries on the babe's cheek, belly, arm, leg, or hand and then would smile at her daughter. Lyra enjoyed the little game almost as much as Ginny. "I'll have to send Daddy off with your brothers more often," she coed to her daughter. "We need more Mummy-Lyra time."
"Draco does monopolize her waking hours. But he'll be going back to work soon, and you'll get more time. Hopefully time to share Lyra with me," Molly stated.
"You'll get your turn in a fortnight. We have a ball to go to," Ginny replied. "Narcissa wants more time with Lyra also." The witch smiled at her new baby. "Everyone wants you. Mummy's going to have to teach Daddy to share better. Yes, I am." She then whispered in the babe's ear, "Mummy needs to learn to share you too."
Molly walked over and caressed her granddaughter's head. "We all wish to bond with this little darling," she said softly before turning to her daughter. "You have picked up some bad habits from your husband, unwillingness to share being one of them." Molly smiled at Ginny. "No one knows your longing better than I. I had to have six wizards before I got my witch." The Weasley matriarch kissed Ginny's cheek and went back to her cooking.
"Is everyone making it for dinner, Mum?" Ginny inquired.
"Your twin brothers won't. They can't keep dates straight. I need to start telling Angelina. They're dining at her parents'."
"Fred too?" Ginny questioned.
The older witch smiled. "Angelina has a cousin visiting."
A loud noise caused both witches to look at the kitchen door. Ron busted into the room, Sophie on his hip. He placed the ten month old next to a chair on her bottom. "Keep an eye on her, mother, please." The wizard exited, but his yells could be heard. "It's my house, and I won't have it, Luna."
"Stop being silly, Ronald. It's just a little fire slug. I've built him a little home in the yard. It's all fireproof. I can't give it back, that would be an insult to Newt Scamander. I'll give it to Hagrid if it continues to grow," Luna calmly stated.
"I'm the wizard of the house, and I say get rid of it," Ron shouted.
Luna opened the door, but was looking back at her husband. "It's my home too. I'm not arguing about this anymore." The blonde witch entered the kitchen and smiled at her daughter. "Sophie, did you show Grandma and Aunt Ginny your new trick?"
Ron threw the door open. "I wanted to show my mum!"
Sophie lip started to quiver. Molly scooped up the little witch and hugged her. "Daddy scared you, didn't he, sweetie?" She scowled at her son. "Watch your temper and learn to compromise."
The wizard stared at his mother, not happy that she was siding with his wife. Molly gave him a stern glance before returning her attention to Sophie. She placed the baby back on the floor. The ten month old crawled to a chair and pulled herself into a standing position.
"What a smart little witch you are, Sophie," Molly praised. "That deserves a biscuit."
Molly handed Sophie a biscuit as the door opened again. "Chocolate biscuits!" Serpens exclaimed. He and his brothers were quickly inside the kitchen looking for the treats. All four sets of little eyes were on Sophie's right hand. Ginny could see their little minds trying to invent a cunning way to get a biscuit.
Her mother had noticed it too. "Politely asking would be your best bet," Molly advised.
"May I please have a chocolate biscuit, Grandma? I promise to eat all my dinner," Cam pleaded.
The older witch looked at Draco. "Is before dinner alright with you?"
"They forwent candy knowing you would have tasty treats. What do you think, Ginny?" Draco replied.
Ron huffed and muttered, "Henpecked prat," before storming out of the house.
"Just one biscuit, Mum," Ginny said.
Bill's voice came from the kitchen door. "Hurry up, kids. Grandma's handing out biscuits." Gabe and Brittany entered the kitchen. Bill turned his attention to Ginny while Molly was passing out biscuits. "What's wrong with Ron?"
Ginny growled, "He believes because he has an outie he gets to make all the rules."
The eldest Weasley brother pulled on Draco's arm. "Let's go find Ron."
Draco followed without questioning. Ron's attitude had set the witches' moods sour, and it was safest to exit. They didn't have to go far to find him. Ron was sitting next to the creek.
"Why'd you bring him?" Ron spoke to Bill but pointed at Draco. "He's the problem. That henpecked prat has all our wives pushing us around."
"Shut it, Weasel. You have no idea what you're talking about," Draco hissed.
Ron laughed, "Ginny says jump, you ask how high. The great Draco Malfoy serves tea like a common house elf."
"I knew you were stupid, Weasel, but not this dumb. It's simply love and respect I show Ginny. She just had my child. Making sure she's happy right now is the least I can do," Draco replied.
"Really, what's the last decision you made for your family? Let's see… Last I remember you wanted to buy Thuban a racing broom for his upcoming birthday." Ron tilted his head. "Is Thuban going to get that broom? No, because that's what Ginny wants."
"Funny you bring up the broom. Last month, I wanted to get Thuban a broom, but I didn't feel as strongly for getting one as Ginny was against it. Things have changed now." Draco's tone became prideful. "Keitch asked Thuban to play on the eleven and under travel Quidditch team. He needs a racing broom for that. My son will be on that team. However I'm smart enough not to have signed him up before I speak with Ginny. I'm not going to order her or state that I'm the head of the family. I'll state my point for the next three days until she agrees."
Draco continued to explain his point as behind a group of trees, Thuban and Gabe listened to the men talk. "It sounds like your dad's going to make sure you're on the team," Gabe whispered.
Thuban looked at the ground. "He made it sound like it was Mum's choice. He never said he'd make sure she would let me play." The little blond wizard put his arms around his stomach. "I don't feel so good. I'm going inside."
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